Momma
by Thessian Shadow
Summary: A small curiosity of mine. What of Helen Grady? Is she dead or not, and if not, what would happen in a confrontation with her son? Travis finds out. R
1. Living Death

**Momma  
**_Chapter 1: Walking Death

* * *

_

**A/N: ** Just a slight curiosity throughout the entirety of Silent Hill: Origins. I wonder if Helen is alive. The game doesn't come out and say whether she Is or not. What if Travis was so inclined to check for himself. Enjoy!

* * *

A wave of cold swept over him as Travis Grady headed back through Cedar Grove Sanitarium. The lobby was still dark, but light was coming from the crack under the door to Dr. Harris' office. He had been here once before, seizing the artifact and the full report, detailing that it was in fact his mother, Helen Grady who had been brought here. Now, there was one object he needed.

"I want the key to female seclusion… I've got to know for sure…" The lock was jammed, so Travis shoved his shoulder into the door The resounding crack let him know that whatever was jammed into the lock was broken. The office was dead quiet, like the rest of the town, but that didn't matter. Travis rummaged through the drawers in the old oak desk, finding a wooden box full of keys. Each had their own label, showing which door it went to.

At the bottom of the pile of keys, he found one with a faded "female seclusion" label. Quickly pocketing it, he closed the box, and placed it back into the drawer, which he closed. Leaving the office, he pulled out the map again, seeing exactly how to go to get to where he needed. The tricky thing was to watch the stairs. They were rotting from years of maltreatment. His foot slipped, and it sank into the rotten wood on the stair behind him, but he yanked it out, cursing under his breath. "Damned trick stair." His eyes narrowed, nearing the second floor landing.

Heading to the north east staircase, he saw something. Flattening himself against the wall, he finally saw that it was simply the corpse of one of the demon nurses he had killed earlier. Travis paused when he got to the doorway of the staircase.

_How is this goin' to go down? If she really is still here, what will I say to her? "Hey mom, by the way, thanks for trying to kill me when I was a kid."? This is definitely something I need to really think about… I can't just get mad… Apparently she was right about the mirrors… Was she right about me being some kind of bad seed?_

Travis put this thought aside for the moment. It would be brought up later. Entering into the stairwell, he descended the stairs, reaching the first floor. Right outside the stairwell was Female Seclusion. He looked at the white writing.

* * *

_Dr. Harris Has The Key

* * *

_

"Yeah… and now I do." Slowly, Travis placed the rusted key into the lock, turning it until it clicked. He then tried the knob, which opened the door without hesitation. Inside, the drawings weren't on the walls. There was only barren white. It reminded him of coming before. Standing before the room with a brass 5 on the outside, he looked at the door, like it was the only thing holding him back. Lisa had been sitting here, looking at the same door. She had said there was nothing anyone could do for her.

"Your boy's here, Momma…"

He reached ut, trying the knob to the door, and surprisingly it worked. The door swung open, to reveal a woman sittin on a shabby bed. Her dark hair was put up, and Travis easily recognized the face of his mother. However, she didn't even notice he was there. All she did was stare out the window, which was covered in what looked like dust and ash. Travis pulled off his cap, so that it would be easier for her to see his face, but she still didn't look away. He was about to take a few steps closer, when her voice nearly made him jump back.

"What is it this time, Doctor? Come to take me away again?" Why won't you let me out?"

Mixed emotions were boiling inside him, as Travis moved toward her, finally stopping and kneeling before her. "It's not the doctor, Momma. It's me…" Her eyes slowly moved from the foggy light to his face. There was an odd look that she gave him.

"Richard?" Her voice held something akin to disappointment. Travis shook his head. He gently reached out, placing his hand atop her thin cold one. "No. It's Travis, your boy… They told me you wanted to see me…" Her eyes widened, but it didn't really last. The moment of realization passed quickly. Her eyes went back to an almost glazed look.

"You're lying…"

"Why would I lie to you?" He was genuinely hurt by this. He hadn't seen her in years, and now she accused him of lying, but then again…. It didn't surprise him. All that she had been through. "I'm not lying to you. I'm here, right in front of you… Open your eyes…"

Helen had turned her head, closing her eyes in disbelief. Her hand was shaking in his. Travis slowly shifted himself, so that he was a little taller than her, sitting on the bed. Helen didn't even notice. "Momma, please look at me…"

It took a few minutes, but her eyes opened again, this time, there was something stirring in them, but he wasn't sure what. "Thank you…"

"Don't thank me yet." Her voice was crisp, and it was thought that she was angry. "If you are indeed who you say you are, then why take so long?"

"I-I waasn't anywhere near here. I thought you were dead… That's what Daddy always told me… I had no idea you were still here… If I had-"

"If you had what, only known?" Her voice held definite anger now. The onlhy strange thing was that she hadn't moved her hand away from him. "I've heard that before…"

"I'm sorry, Momma…" Frustration had built during this argument, making him almost angry, but it wasn't her fault. Richard had told him his mother was dead, not locked away in a sanitarium, pleading to see him. "What do you need me to do?"

"I don't need you to do anything…" Her tone had something of a defeated tone to it now. MeTravis gently raised his left hand to her face, turning it so that she would be looking directly at him. She tried to turn away. "What can I do to make you believe me? I hate seeing you like this…"

"Really, even after I tried to kill you!" Her voice was unbelieving. He put a hand up to stop her from talking.

"You tried to kill yourself too. I read that in a police report. You didn't want to keep living… Why?"

"I was tired…"

"Tired of what?" This was surprising. Here he had been struggling to find a way to bring up what she had done, and then she just came out and sad it.

"Tired of the voives, tired of the people in the mirrors telling me what to do. They told me that after it was done, I would be free from all this…"

"Well, they lied."

"You act like there is another world on the other side of these mirrors. Are you crazy now, or am I?"

"You're not. I've seen it. I've gone there… I've seen hellish creatures on the other side." He looked up into her faded blue-gray eyes. "Momma, I understand you wanting it to end…" He stood, gently sitting on the edge of the bed, placing an arm around her slim shoulders. "All that has to happen is to ignore them. This place has its own twisted way of makin' anyone crazy. Trust me, I've seen my share already…"

Her head found its way to his lower shoulder, and it was almost comforting in the rathole of a sanitarium. The only thing to it was that he felt like he was holding a skeleton. Her frame was so thin, and she was cold. Helen Grady was almost the picture of living death.


	2. Going Home

**Momma  
**_Chapter 2: Going Home

* * *

_

"_I'm not dead. Locked away! Out of sight, out of mind. Not dead"

* * *

_

Travis heard the voice of his mother, but saw the thing in the cage. He opened his eyes to see the rust and blood of the otherworld. He was lying in the place of the ritual. The flauros was lying by his hand, and he heard crying coming from somewhere. Dahlia's voice was quiet and far off.

"The other half is not lost… We'll use a summoning Spell. Hearing its pain, it is sure to come…"

"It will take time…"

"We can wait…"

Travis heard the small conversation between Dahlia and Kaufmann. His vision became blurred again, and his head spun. The last thing he saw was the hooded Dahlia looking at him. She had removed her hood, and was looking at him with a mixed expression.

"Poor fool… He was nothing but her pawn."

Then there was nothing. Travis felt cold darkness sweep over him, and blackness welcomed him. The conversation he had with the caged demon came back to him. His thoughts went to Alessa and her mother.

* * *

_What must she think of Dahlia? Is it right to put a child like that through such an ordeal? Is Dahlia doing the right thing? Hell, the way this place is, I don't think there is a right or wrong anymore… There's no boundaries to tell the difference. Here I was, thinking I was doing the right thing, and the cult thought they were too. I don't know….

* * *

_

White light met him, and Travis saw the familiar mists surrounding him. He was lying on the same bench he had been on when waking up after the fire. Sitting up, he checked his watch, seeing that the time was still stopped at 22:19:04 on the display. Knowing it couldn't be that time anymore, he ignored it, and stood. The events in the church were still reeling in his head, like a slideshow that wouldn't end, until he saw "Cedar Grove Sanitarium" on the map. Remembering his mother, he quickly started off towards the bookstore. The hospital doors were locked, so that he couldn't take the "easy" route. He then went through the shop, and headed back out onto Koontz street. Going past Artaud Theatre, he entered the apartment building again, but had to improvise on how to get back up to the apartment upstairs. Leaning against the desk, he pushed it under the hole and climbed back up into the bathroom. Knowing he was probably in a dead man's apartment, Travis exited through the fire escape. Once back on Acadia road, Travis almost laughed. "Fire wouldn't even aste its time on that moth-eaten apartment…" Seeing his destination, he quickened his pace, almost instantly regretting it, because he had taken a blow to the ribs, when the demon thing had swatted at him. They ached, so he slowed down, settling for a brisk walk. Reaching the sanitarium, he took the trip up to female seclusion, where his mother was still sitting. The last words he had said came back to him, before he opened the door.

* * *

"_Don't…" Helen started to say something, but silenced herself. Travis sat bavk down, having her to look at him._

"_I'm goin' to find out what's goin' on here. I won't leave you here.. I promise I'll come back."_

"_That's what your father said too…"_

"_I'm not going to break my promise, Momma. I'll be back when this whole thing is over. I'm getting' you out of here, and we're leavin' this hellhole."_

"_Empty words…" Her voice held the defeated tone again, and he personally vowed that his mother would see him again, and this time it would be to take her home. He cringed at the thought of leaving his father's corpse in room 500 at the motel. The crime scene tape was still there, and he was sure that was when all this started, when his watch froze at 22:19:04.

* * *

_

Travis slowly pushed the door open, seeing his mother's head slowly move toward his direction. He entered the room, feeling almost relieved, when his mother's body relaxed. "I'm here to take you home, Momma. We're leaving."

"Where's your father?"

This statememt came as a shock. Travis didn't know what to say. He didn't want to upset his mother, by telling her Richard was dead. He didn't want to lie to her either.

"Daddy's not coming…"

Her face fell. She looked down at the floor, for the first time, and there was some color to her face now. "He hates me, I'm sure…"

"No…" Struggling with the right words, Travis came to kneel before her again. "I don't want to upset you… Do you want the truth or something a little easier to hear?"

"The truth…"

"He doesn't hate you… On the contrary, he loved you so much he didn't want to live another day without you…"

"He's dead, isn't he…" It wasn't a question, moreso a statement. Travis took both her hands in his and slowly nodded.

"I found him dead in the motel room after playing pinball in the game room… He hanged himself…"

"You f-found him…" Her voice now held not anger, but pity, something he hadn't heard In a long while. "How o-old were you then?"

"I dunno… I guess eight…"

With energy he hadn't expected, she wrapped her arms around him, feeling his warmth spread throughout her body. A solitary tear made its way slowly down her face and into his shoulder. Travis moved his arms slowly and carefully around her slender form, fearing she might break or just disappear.

They stayed like that for sometime, before he slowly rose, bringing her with him. They had her dressed in what looked like standard issue hospital scrubs. Almost reminded him of prison suits. He then removed a costume jacket he had stuffed in his pocket from the theatre, and draped it over her shoulders. "You'll need this. It's a good walk back to my truck…"


	3. The Long and Winding Road Home

**Momma  
**_Chapter 3: The Long And Winding Road Home

* * *

_

The way out of the sanitarium was dark, but it was peaceful. Travis walked, leaving a steady hand on his mother's shoulder. She walked slowly, bt confidently out into the light. That was when Travis got a good look at her. He saw the paper white skin, her sunken eyes, and the walking skeleton he feared she had become, but most of all, he saw a woman who was getting a second chance at life.

They headed back toward the apartments, but noticed that the mists were thickening. Instead of the back entrance of the apartments, Travis saw the scorched remains of the Gillespie house. What was left of the second floor was starting to cave in, but some of the ground floor was still in decent shape. They took in the charred remains, and Helen questioned her son.

"What are we doing here, Travis?"

"This is where I first started this mess. I saved a girl from the second floor of this place, while it was on fire. Apparently-" He was cut off by movement. "Wait here."

Travis moved quickly into the remains, looking for the dark figure he had just seen. He was not at all surprised, then, to see Dahlia step away from the broken down staircase. She nearly jumped out of her skin, seeing him there. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question. You come here, after you let your daughter nearly burn to death? What kind of mother does that make you? How do you think your daughter feels about you?"

"History seems to repeat itself, Travis. I expect Alesssa feels the same way you did, those years ago, when your mother tried to kill you."

"Funny thing. She tried to kill herself too. You were perfectly fine with leaving your daughter to die alone."

"Destroying one's child is not easy. I did what was right for her. I suppose your mother can't say any different."

"Leave my mother out of this. It has nothing to do with her. I've been able to see what she's seen. The hellhole behind the mirrors is real."

"Is it? Or is it something built to punish you?"

"Nice try. I didn't do anything to deserve this kind of punishment. Can't say the same for you. What did you mean back there, saying you'd use a summoning spell? Don't tell me this shit isn't over."

Dahlia looked at him straight for a few minutes, just staring at him, and Travis got the impression that she was bracing herself for something. She finally spoke. "This place is through with you, Travis Grady, but its iron chains still hold me captive. They are not through with me or Alessa just yet." She then headed back into a darker portion of the remaining structure. Something within him told Travis to leave her. He headed back out, coming to stand beside his mother. "Let's get out of here. Sound good to you?"

"Of course…"

They followed the road back out of town. At the point in the road where it curved, Travis looked back, seeing the mists gather behind him, shrouding the town. "I guess it is done with me… For now."

They headed around the bend and toward his truck. It had been parked there, and the hood was covered in what appeared to be ash. Remembering there was heavy smoke in the air that night, Travis swept his hand across it, stirring up the ash. It floated in the air ahead of him for a few seconds before falling listlessly to the ground. He helped his mother up into the cab, where she leaned her head against the window. He climbed into the driver's seat, remembering he had put his key in the breast pocket of his shirt, under his vest, for safekeeping.

Shoving it into the ignitiin, he heard his mother say four words, before the truck's engine began roaring.

"Take me home, Travis."

* * *

**Epilogue

* * *

**

It had been years since he had arrived back home. He and his mother had been living in content, getting re-aquainted. She had loads to tell him about his childhood that he had made himself forget, and he had a lot to fill her in on. Telling her of his travels as a trucker, Helen mentioned something one day.

"I've never seen the ocean."

"Huh?" Travis looked dumbfounded. He thought that his father would have taken them to the beach once I his life, but come to think of it, the only times he had seen the beach or the ocean were when he drove to the coasts, delivering goods. He nodded then. "I'll take you one day. You'll see the sunny beaches of Florida, and maybe the shores of California." She had looked very happy about that.

One day, Ambros' trucking supervisor called, saying they needed him to make a few drop-offs around the Silent Hill/Brahms/Shepherd's Glen area. Seeing as there was nobody else to take the job, Travis had to agree. His first thought was of his mother, who he would never burden by dragging her out to that miserable place. He told her she would need to stay there, and that he would be back within a few days. Helen had gotten stronger since her release from Cedar Grove. Her skin retained some colour, she managed to replenish her body, and she had gotten to where the nightmares only happened every so often.

Travis thought about her now as he pulled away from Shepherd's Glen. He had just dropped off a young man dressed in army attire. The soldier had thanked him, and wished him safe travels. He now had to head off back to Silent Hill, to get back to Brahms and make another drop off. Looking down at his watch, he wasn't surprised to see the seconds reeling. The time had corrected itself, when he had left Silent Hill with his moter, and he hadn't had a problem with it since.

"It's like that place didn't want me to move on, or something… Or maybe _she_ didn't want me to…" He thought of Alessa. The girl had ripped open old wounds, causing him to suffer just as she was. This plagued his mind, as he drove back into the town. He had just made it past the sign that said BRAHMS – SILENT HILL, when he saw some movement up ahead and into the trees. Thinking it was an animal, he slowed down, so as not to hit it, but when he saw a hand out, flagging him down, he slowed and finally stopped on the side of the road. A hooded figure crossed in front of him, moving toward the passengers' side door. For protection, Travis gripped an old knife his mother had passed on to him, saying it was his father's. He had just gotten his fingers around the handle, when the door opened. All he could see from the dtormy light outside was that the figure was of slender shape. _A woman… _ His eyes went back to the road, and he started moving again.

Whoever she was, she kept quiet until they got to Brahms. He moved to get out of the truck, and she flinched violently. At first, Travis thought she was waking from a dream, but he saw, after noticing her hood was down, that her eyes were wide. She was alert, and only then did he recognize her. He held off on saying anything until he dropped off the five boxes he was hauling at the police department. When he got back in the cab, he turned to her.

"Wondered when I'd see you again, Dahlia…."

* * *

**A/N: **_ Leaving room for a sequel. Hope this ficlet was enjoyable. Sequel will be posted soon. Thanks for reading! WARNING: Travis/Dahlia pairing ahead. Don't like, Don't read, otherwise, enjoy the sequel._


End file.
